Hey, dear reader! Thank you for reaching the 30th chapter of Gold & Sand. If you're enjoying the story so far, please leave a like and a gem if possible. Oh! And tell me... between Matthew and Masahiro, who is your favourite? Hugs!
It was late. The kind of late where the fluorescent lights stopped feeling official and started feeling like a headache.Masahiro glanced at the wall clock. Then at his phone. Then at the front door of their apartment—still closed. Still quiet.He picked up his phone and typed: Babe, are you still gonna delay? It's kinda late.The typing bubble showed up a few seconds later.Matthew: I’m leaving here in about ten min.Promise.Masahiro let out a soft exhale. Then replied: Gonna wait for you.Meanwhile, at the precinct, Matthew was finishing his report, one finger running along the edge of a half-crumpled case file. His desk was a mess of highlighters, crime scene photos, and snack wrappers that had long since gone stale.He smiled faintly at his phone. The kind of smile that came from familiarity. From knowing someone was waiting.Then came the voice.“Still here?”He looked up.Officer Neira—tight ponytail, smile polished like her bad
The courtyard smelled like rusted iron and too much sun.Cassidy sat on the bench like it was made for him—spine straight, one ankle lazily resting over the other knee, a battered copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray in hand. He wasn’t reading, not really. His eyes skimmed the same paragraph again and again, but his mind was three steps ahead.Chu stood behind him, a silent sentinel. Arms crossed, gaze flicking across the yard like radar. No one came close. No one dared.Cassidy closed the book with a soft thump and tapped the spine against his knee. A thoughtful smile tugged at his mouth.“Chu,” he said, calm but purposeful.The guard’s head inclined.“Tell the Warden I’d like to speak with him. Today.”Chu didn’t ask why.He turned and walked off like the world had given him an order.Cassidy stayed seated, eyes on the sunlit concrete. The bench felt warm beneath him.He flipped the book back open and pretended to read again.Meanwhile,Chu stepped into the building like he belonged th
The precinct hall buzzed faintly—phones ringing, printers humming, boots tapping on old tile. Masahiro sat at his desk, jaw tight, shirt sleeves crisp, red pen hovering over the latest incident report like it owed him blood. Diana approached with careful steps, her blazer sharp, heels sharper. She didn’t speak at first—just placed a sleek, black metal pen on the edge of his desk. It glinted slightly under the fluorescents. “For your case notes,” she said. “Saw it and thought of you.” Masahiro glanced at it. “Thanks,” he replied, tone as dry and lifeless as a tax form. She lingered. “It’s imported. German ink flow. Smoothest grip you'll ever—” “I have pens,” he cut in, reaching for the red one again. Diana tilted her head, lips twitching faintly. “Right. Well. Just thought you’d like something with… polish.” Masahiro nodded once—already back to his report. Diana lingered a second longer, then walked away, smile tight. Masahiro didn’t even look up. And the worst part? Even
The door to the office slammed open without a knock.Silas strode in, coat still half-buttoned, breath tight. His eyes scanned the room with unmasked urgency—then locked on the man behind the desk.Michaelis didn’t look up immediately.He sat composed, one gloved hand holding a folder open, the other bare against a mug of untouched coffee. A dark beret sat low on his head, casting a sharp shadow over his brow. Only after finishing the paragraph did he speak.“You’re early.”“You hung up on me,” Silas replied. “Last night. Abruptly.”Michaelis set the folder down. “The regional director called.”Silas froze. “Again?”“He’s thorough.” Michaelis glanced up, tone unreadable. "I was issued an order.”Silas’s jaw tightened. “So Cassidy’s back in his block because—”“Because I was told to put him there.”“You didn’t fight it?”Michaelis’s gaze sharpened. “I didn’t have the luxury.”Silas paced, biting the inside of his cheek. “We could still reverse it. Shake him up again. Transfers, limita
The sun hadn’t fully cleared the skyline when Michaelis stepped into the building. He didn’t greet the guards. Didn’t acknowledge the intern by the elevators. His coat was sharp, black, silent. Like mourning in motion. When he reached the third floor, the light in his office was already on. Rivera stood inside, kneeling by the windowsill, some kind of signal reader blinking blue in his hand. Michaelis opened the door without knocking. Rivera stood up immediately. “All done, sir.” Michaelis shut the door behind him. “And?” “Clean,” Rivera said. “Nothing in the lights, vents, casing, bookshelves. No hidden power draws. Nothing in the sockets. Desk’s clear. No wireless activity that’s not authorized.” Michaelis’s face didn’t move. “You’re sure?” “Yes, sir.” “Not even a trace?” “No signal leakage, no lens refraction, no data transfer, no wired taps. Not even a rogue device ID. I used the full sweep kit. Brought the EM handheld just in case—old-school redundancy.” Michaelis’s j
Steam curled at the edges of the door as Michaelis emerged from the bathroom—bare-chested, robe cinched low at the waist, red hair damp and tousled like fire after rain.His feet padded softly across the polished floor in thick velvet slippers, the luxurious kind, stitched with gold thread. He looked like a man who ran prisons by day and ruined hearts by night.He didn’t glance at the mirror. Didn’t need to. He already knew he looked lethal.Phone buzzed.He crossed the room, one hand towel-drying his hair, the other reaching for the device on the nightstand.Silas.He answered with a lazy swipe, dropping the towel on the bed. “Still alive?”Silas’s voice was crisp. “Barely. Ward three just filed another complaint. Something about cold water and emotional damage.”Michaelis let out a breath of amusement, settling onto the mattress. The robe parted slightly at the thigh.“Tell them to grow a spine. Or freeze. I’m not in the mood for sentiment tonight.”“Mmm. Sounds like someone’s relax